A high seas expedition to the central Gulf of Alaska is set for early 2019 by the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission to address knowledge gaps regarding salmon in the open ocean.
The study is part of the commission’s International Year of the Salmon in the North Pacific, with 2019 being the focal year for IYS outreach and research across the northern hemisphere, the NPAFC said.
Plans are for the expedition to run from late February through late March, aboard the Russia research vessel “Professor Kaganovsky,” with scientists from all five members of the commission participating. Member countries include Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the United States of America. The goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of abundance, condition, country of origin and location of stocks from salmon producing countries, to better understand how climate and changing ocean environment affect salmon production.
The International Year of the Salmon, hosted by the NFAFC and the Pacific Salmon Foundation, was launched in Vancouver, British, Columbia, on Oct. 11, with participation by leaders from government indigenous groups, non-government organizations, academia and industry from around the Pacific Rim and the Atlantic basin.
The group received a traditional First Nations welcome from Chief Wayne Sparrow of Musqueam Indian Ban on behalf of local Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleif-Waututh Nations, Brian Riddell of the Pacific Salmon Foundation and Mark Saunders of the NPAFC, who reflected on challenges facing salmon and the IYS initiative as part of the solution.
The IYS is an initiative of the NPAFC and its North Atlantic partner, the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization, to establish a new hemispheric-scale partnership of government, indigenous peoples, academia, NGOs and industry to connect hundreds of organizations to address the scientific and social challenges facing salmon and people in an increasingly uncertain environment. The partnership plans a call to action for research through 2022 to fill knowledge gaps, develop ways to equip and train the next generation of scientists and managers and raise awareness among decision-makers.
